The Perfect Weekend Away in Northern California: The Ultimate Three-Day Itinerary for Visiting Mount Shasta.

Northern California is such a diverse part of the state filled with epic mountain views, alpine lakes and lush waterfalls. Mount Shasta and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, located in Siskiyou County, are a nature lover’s paradise. You will easily see why, once you check out my comprehensive blog on the area, filled with pictures of all the most beautiful photography spots. I have also included the details to some of my favorite hikes in the area as well.

The imposing Mount Shasta, towering in the distance at 14,179 feet tall, is the perfect backdrop for all the gorgeous scenery to be found here. A sunrise or sunset over the mountain is the ultimate start or ending to a day of hiking and exploring all of the natural wonders in the area. If you are a waterfall lover, you will be absolutely delighted, as the waterfalls in this area are second to none, and many travelers refer to them as some of the best in the country.

While this area is beautiful year-round, I have found that the fall season is the best for viewing those pops of autumnal colors, cooler temperatures and smaller crowds. I have visited this area in both October and November, and both times I have had most of the trails all to myself.

How to Get Here:

• From Portland, OR: 360 miles or 5.5 hours.
• From Medford, OR: 88 miles, or 1.5 hours.
• From Sacramento, CA: 220 miles, or 3.5 hours.
• From San Francisco, CA: 275 miles, or around 4 hours.
• From Reno, NV: 217 miles or around 4 hours.

Where to Stay:

• The nearest cities to the following attractions are Redding, Dunsmuir and Mount Shasta.
• I usually stay in the town of Mount Shasta, as it is centrally located to the best hiking locations and has a ton of cute shops, restaurants and bars to explore.
• Some of my favorite options for lodging are: The Inn at Mount Shasta and Loge Mount Shasta.

What to Do in Town:

• Check out a local brewery: Pipeline Craft Taps and Kitchen, Mount Shasta Brewing Company and Whiskey Row Taphouse are a few local picks.
• Grab an amazing burger at Yak’s on the 5.
• Browse some of the neat boutiques in downtown Mount Shasta. There is a really cool shop called Soul Connections that sells crystals, incense and other neat “doodads”. If you are looking for unique gift ideas then check out Rugged Arrow Boutique for charming house wares, candles and more.

Day 1: Waterfalls

• The first stop on this list needs no introduction, as it is easily one of the most impressive and beloved waterfalls in the entire country! McArthur-Burney Falls, was once referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by Theodore Roosevelt, and it is easy to see why once you lay eyes on it. This 129-foot-tall waterfall is also 279 feet wide, significantly adding to its lustrous facade. It is comprised of dozens of small underground springs, made of vibrant turquoise water, gushing powerfully down into the canyon below. This waterfall remains high flow year-round.
• Located in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, this is one of the most heavily visited and trafficked areas in the area and it gets BUSY! I highly recommend visiting this place first and right when it opens at 8 a.m. The later it gets in the day, the more people will be there, making it difficult to get that perfect photograph without tons of people in the way. The short, paved trail from the parking lot to the falls makes it highly accessible, so there can be hundreds of people here in the summertime months and on weekends (also making finding parking a huge issue).
• The entrance fee to visit costs $10.00 per vehicle They do not accept the National Parks Passes here due to it being a state park.
• There are several trails here but if you are just looking to see the waterfall, the Burney Falls Loop Trail is 1 mile roundtrip.
• McArthur Burney Falls is approximately 52 miles from downtown Mount Shasta. You will take CA-89 S along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway to get there.
• Campgrounds and cabins are also available if you wish to stay the night here.

• As you head back north on CA-89 towards Mount Shasta, you will next stop at McCloud Falls. There is a series of three waterfalls here: upper, lower and middle falls. You can stop individually in the parking area for each one and hike down, or see them all in one big 4 mile loop. The middle falls is the prettiest in my opinion, and if you only wish to see this waterfall it is only 0.8 miles round trip from the parking lot. If you do want to get closer, it does require some scrambling over large boulders to get the view in the picture shown above. The water level was somewhat lower when I visited, but it was still stunning!
• This series of waterfalls is free to visit, unlike McArthur Burney Falls next door.

• The Upper McCloud Falls is just a short drive up the road and is only 0.3 miles roundtrip. This one is viewed from an observation deck, and the only way to get down closer to the waterfall basin is to climb off trail down a steep ravine.
• I skipped the lower falls on this particular trip, because I found it to be the least impressive of the three the last time I visited, and I wanted to save time for my next location. Lower McCloud Falls is a popular spot for swimming in the summertime.
• Upper McCloud Falls is located approximately 38 miles from McArthur Burney Falls.

Day 2: Mountains and Alpine Lakes

• Lake Siskiyou is located approximately 5.1 miles from downtown Mount Shasta and is a picture-perfect location to view the sunrise. Mount Shasta and Wagoncreek Bridge in the distance lends to a pretty spectacular scene! In the cooler months, you will often see a light mist floating above the water, as seen in the photo above.
• Lake Siskiyou is a popular recreation site for kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and hiking. During the summer months you can rent kayaks and SUP boards at the Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort.
• The Lake Siskiyou Trail takes you on an easy 7.3 mile loop around the perimeter of the lake.
• Leashed dogs are welcome at this recreation site.

• Once you’ve had your fill of lake- side recreation, you are going to head 9.4 miles up Castle Lake Road to your next location, the Heart Lake Trail from Castle Lake. Incidentally, the lake shown in the photo above is actually Castle Lake, and not Heart Lake (despite being shaped like a heart).
• This hike is 3 miles roundtrip and approximately 813 feet of elevation gain, with easy to moderate difficulty.
• You will hike upwards through a beautiful forest and climb above the tree line for amazing views of the vibrant blue waters below. As you wrap around the top part of the lake, the unique heart shape of it becomes more and more evident.

• Along the way to the summit of this trail you will pass the much smaller alpine Heart Lake (pictured above). What this lake lacks in size, is made up for in its stunning visage. From the outer rim, you can see a perfect reflection of Mount Shasta glowing in its still waters.

Day 3: More Waterfalls

• Located in the Shasta- Trinity National Forest, the next stop is to Faery Falls.
• The total hike is 1.3 miles, and about 250 feet of elevation gain, with an easy to moderate level of difficulty.
• The Faery Falls parking area is about 4.4 miles from downtown Mount Shasta.
• You will hike alongside the Ney Springs Creek until you reach the turn off point down to the left side of the trail that descends steeply to the base of the waterfall. This turnoff point is about 0.10 miles from the end of the trail. This view comes after a muddy and often slippery slope down to the waterfall, which can be dangerous due to the steep drop off to the creek below. Extra caution should be taken if you decide to climb down to the falls.
• Along the way (at about 0.4 miles in) you will pass by the remnants of the abandoned Ney Springs Resort, which was once a hot springs hotel. All that is left of it now is some stone ruins and pipes, which are overgrown and covered in moss.

• The last stop on your Mount Shasta road trip is to the Hedge Creek Falls waterfall located in Dunsmuir California. If you are coming from Faery Falls, it is about 20 minutes away. If you are coming from downtown Mount Shasta, it is a 10 minute drive.
• Hedge Creek Falls is a lower flow waterfall, so it may be just a trickle throughout various times of the year. The above photograph was taken in the end of November after some snow melt, however on a different trip here in October there was hardly any water at all.
• This is a short hike rounding out at just under 1 mile roundtrip, and rated with easy difficulty.
• The unique features of this waterfall include the columnar basalt forming the waterfall’s amphitheater, and a small cave underneath that allows you to walk behind the waterfall.

Other Things to Do Nearby:

• Lassen Volcanic National Park: 93 miles or 1 hr, 40 minutes.
• Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park: 189 miles or 3.5 hours.
• Southern Oregon Coast: 213 miles, or 4 hours.

• If you are planning on driving up the coast to Oregon, the Redwoods State Parks is an amazing place to visit if you’ve always wanted to walk among the enormous coastal Redwoods. You can then continue up the Southern Oregon Coast to Brookings and Bandon for more epic scenery and hiking. Check out my Southern Oregon Coast blog for more ideas to add on to your trip!

Happy Wandering!